HTC working on new Butterfly model with no more UltraPixel camera?

The original HTC Butterfly helped pave the way for smartphones with 1080p displays in late 2012. Then in mid-2013 we saw HTC release the Butterfly S, outfitting the phone with a more modern SoC, UltraPixel camera, and much larger battery. Now that the One M8 is a reality, will HTC be delivering a corresponding refresh to its Butterfly series? That’s what we’re thinking about this afternoon, after being made aware of some benchmark data that might just reveal the next Butterfly model.

We’re looking at HTC’s model 0PAJ3, which just like the One M8 is powered by a Snapdragon 801 SoC and features another 1080p screen. RAM looks like it’s staying put at 2GB, and storage keeps the same 16GB base level.

What’s most interesting, though, is where 0PAJ3 differs from the M8, and the figure sticking out at us like a sore thumb is this 13-megapixel main camera. Now, keep in mind that the One M8 gave us all sorts of false reads on its camera hardware as it appeared in leaks itself, so we might want to tread with caution here, but there’s always the possibility that HTC could nix the whole Duo Camera arrangement for this phone and give it a simple high-MP shooter, instead.

If this is indeed a new Butterfly, we’re also curious to learn what HTC might be thinking for its design. Past models have eschewed the One’s metal facade for dark plastic, and we’re curious to see if this 0PAJ3 might follow suit.

Stephen has been writing about electronics since 2008, which only serves to frustrate him that he waited so long to combine his love of gadgets and his degree in writing. In his spare time, he collects console and arcade game hardware, is a motorcycle enthusiast, and enjoys trapping blue crabs. Stephen's first mobile device was a 624 MHz Dell Axim X30, which he's convinced is still a viable platform. Stephen longs for a market where phones are sold independently of service, and bandwidth is cheap and plentiful; he's not holding his breath. In the meantime, he devours smartphone news and tries to sort out the juicy bitsRead more about Stephen Schenck!